What Are Skills?

Have you ever watched someone do something so effortlessly and wondered, “How on Earth do they do that?” How can a sculptor transform a block of marble into a gorgeous statue? How does an athlete make gravity seem like a suggestion?

We’ve all been there. And behind these awe-inspiring displays lies a common thread: skills. But what exactly are skills, and how do they shape our lives and the world around us?

Skills are the knowledge, abilities, and expertise that you acquire through formal education, training, practice, and experience. Skills are what let you perform specific tasks effectively, pursue career opportunities, and contribute to organizations and society.

Skill Types

There are a range of skill categories that help us classify and understand skills based on their characteristics, applications, and relevance in various contexts.

1. Hard Skills: These are specific, teachable abilities that are typically quantifiable, measurable, and applicable to specific types of use. Examples include computer programming, graphic design, accounting, carpentry, and foreign language proficiency.
2. Soft Skills: Also known as interpersonal skills or people skills, these are non-technical skills that relate to how we interact with others and navigate social situations. Examples include communication, teamwork, leadership, problem-solving, time management, and adaptability.
3. Transferable Skills: These are skills that can be applied across different roles, industries, and contexts. They are often acquired through various experiences and can be valuable in diverse situations. Examples include critical thinking, creativity, organization, and customer service.
4. Job-Specific Skills: These are skills that are directly relevant to a particular job or occupation. They are typically required for performing specific tasks or functions within a specific role or industry. Examples include medical procedures for healthcare professionals, legal research for lawyers, and sales techniques for salespeople.
5. Adaptive Skills: These are skills that individuals develop to adapt to changing circumstances, environments, or technologies. They involve the ability to learn, unlearn, and relearn as needed to stay relevant and effective as the world continues to change.

Defining Your Skills

You’re probably aware of a few skills you possess, but you might not be sure. Maybe you haven’t been in the job market for a while, or maybe you’re just starting your career. Sometimes, when writing our resumes or a similar document, we stare at the blank page because we suddenly can’t think of anything we’re good at. It’s natural.

Whatever the reason, if you’re having difficulty defining your skills, try the following step-by-step process:

1. Start by taking some time to reflect on your strengths, weaknesses, interests, and experiences. Consider your past roles, projects, academic pursuits, extracurricular activities, and hobbies. What tasks or activities do you excel at? What do you enjoy doing? What feedback have you received from others about your abilities?
2. As you start getting some ideas, write them down. Some might not be relevant to your specific objective, but include everything that comes to mind. Include both hard skills (technical abilities) and soft skills (interpersonal qualities). Try to be as specific and detailed as possible.
3. Then, classify your skills. You can use the categories above to organize your list. Also, identify your transferable skills. These are skills that you can apply in various contexts and are valuable assets regardless of the specific job you’re pursuing. Knowing what these are will come in handy if you’re writing a resume or preparing for an interview, for instance.
4. You can also ask for feedback from friends, family members, colleagues, mentors, or supervisors. They may provide insights into your strengths and skills that you hadn’t considered.
5. If you’re really struggling, consider seeking feedback from performance evaluations, academic assessments, or professional assessments such as personality tests or skills assessments.
6. Make sure you update your list regularly. Skills development is an ongoing process, so it’s important to regularly update and refine your list of skills. Keep track of new skills you acquire, experiences you gain, and feedback you receive. This ensures that your skills remain relevant and accurately reflect your qualifications over time.
7. Finally, take advantage of online resources, career assessments, and skill quizzes to further explore and define your skills. These tools can provide insights, guidance, and inspiration as you continue to develop and refine your skill set. We have a Skills, Abilities, and Experience tool we’ve specifically designed to help you measure your degree of comfort and mastery in over 80 skills. Skills Assessment Tool

Developing & Fostering Your Skills

If there’s a specific skill you want to develop and foster, you’ll need to put some intentional effort into learning and practicing, as well as gathering feedback on how you’re doing.

1. Start by setting clear goals. Identify the specific skills you want to develop and set clear, achievable goals for yourself. Make sure your goals are specific, measurable, attainable, relevant, and time-bound (SMART).

2. Seek out learning opportunities to acquire new knowledge and skills. This could include enrolling in courses, workshops, seminars, webinars, or online tutorials. Look for both formal and informal learning opportunities that align with your goals. LinkedIn Learning, Udemy, Coursera and others offer a range of free courses. PathWise also has a growing library of career-focused courses available.

3. Practice is essential for skill development. Make sure you dedicate time each day or week to practice the skills you’re trying to develop. Be deliberate about your practice. Focus on specific aspects of the skill and on improving your weak spots. Practicing in this way will help you make more progress more quickly.

4. Seek feedback from mentors, peers, supervisors, or coaches to gain insights into your strengths and areas for improvement. Actively solicit feedback on your performance, and be open to constructive criticism. If you want to work with a career or leadership coach, we can help.

5. Take time to reflect on your learning and progress regularly. Evaluate what’s working well and what needs adjustment. Reflection allows you to track your growth and adjust your approach as needed.

6. Keep yourself updated about industry trends, advancements, and best practices related to your skills. Stay curious and continuously seek opportunities to expand your knowledge and expertise. This might involve reading industry publications, attending conferences, participating in professional development events, or joining relevant online communities.

7. Step out of your comfort zone. Challenge yourself by taking on new and unfamiliar tasks that require you to stretch your skills. Embrace opportunities for growth and don’t be afraid to tackle challenges head-on.

8. Collaborate with others who possess complementary skills or expertise. Engaging in teamwork, brainstorming sessions, or group projects can help you learn from others and broaden your perspective.

9. Share your knowledge with others. Teaching, mentoring, tutoring, or leading workshops are all powerful ways to solidify your own understanding of a subject or skill. This forces you to articulate your thoughts clearly and can deepen your understanding of the material.

10. Be persistent. Skill development takes time and effort, so be patient with yourself. Stay focused on your goals, stay motivated, and don’t get discouraged by setbacks. Remember that progress is incremental, and every step forward brings you closer to your objectives.

Skills in Your Resume

When writing skills in a resume, it’s important to present them in a clear, organized, and relevant manner that highlights your qualifications for the job you’re applying for. Here are some tips on how to effectively list skills on your resume:

• Review the job description carefully and identify the key skills and qualifications required for the position. Then, customize your resume to emphasize the skills that are most relevant to that job. This shows the employer that you have the specific abilities they’re looking for.
• Create a dedicated section on your resume specifically for listing your skills to make it easy for employers (or their automated hiring systems) to quickly identify your qualifications.
• Organize skills strategically. Group them into categories based on their relevance to the job. For example, you might have separate sections for “Technical Skills,” “Leadership Skills,” and “Interpersonal Skills.”
• List your most relevant and impressive skills at the top of each section. This ensures that the employer sees your strongest qualifications first to help grab their attention.
• When describing your skills, use specific examples or metrics to demonstrate your proficiency. Instead of simply saying you have “communication skills,” provide examples of presentations you’ve given, reports you’ve written, or projects you’ve collaborated on that showcase your communication abilities.
• Start each skill statement with a strong action verb to convey confidence and accomplishment. For example, instead of saying “Proficient in Microsoft Excel,” you could say “Excelled in using Microsoft Excel to analyze data and create comprehensive management reports.”
• Whenever possible, quantify your skills or accomplishments to provide context and demonstrate your impact. For instance, you could say “Increased sales by 20% through effective sales strategies” or “Managed a team of ten employees to successfully complete project deliverables on time and within budget.”
• Only include skills on your resume that you genuinely possess and can confidently discuss if asked in an interview. Exaggerating or misrepresenting your skills could backfire during the hiring process.

List per Category

If you need some ideas of skills you’d like to include in your resume, LinkedIn or similar, check out the list below for some thought starters.

Technical Skills

• Programming
• Data Analysis
• Digital Marketing
• Copy Writing
• Cloud Computing
• Web Development
• Graphic Design

Creative Skills

• Writing (fiction, non-fiction, copywriting)
• Illustration
• Photography
• Music Composition
• Video Editing
• Creative Problem Solving
• User Experience Design
• Storytelling
• Painting or Drawing

Interpersonal Skills

• Communication
• Active Listening
• Conflict Resolution
• Negotiation
• Empathy
• Collaboration
• Persuasion
• Emotional Intelligence
• Networking

Leadership Skills

• Decision Making
• Strategic Planning
• Team Building
• Vision Setting
• Coaching and Mentoring
• Change Management
• Conflict Management
• Motivation

 Thinking Skills

• Critical Thinking
• Problem Solving
• Systems Thinking
• Strategic Thinking
• Innovation
• Adaptability

Experience-Based Skills

• Project Management
• Customer Service
• Sales
• Event Planning
• Teaching or Training
• Research
• Public Speaking
• Budgeting
• Quality Assurance

Personal Skills

• Adaptability
• Resilience
• Stress Management
• Time Management
• Organization
• Patience
• Integrity
• Accountability

Knowledge-Based Skills

• Industry-Specific Knowledge
• Cultural Competence
• Financial Literacy
• Legal Knowledge
• Scientific Methodology
• Historical Perspective
• Geographic Awareness
• Technological Proficiency

Each of us harbors a distinctive arsenal of skills, refined through years of experience and dedication. Recognizing these skills is crucial for seizing new opportunities, as it positions us to grasp the value each skill offers. By categorizing and delineating our abilities, we not only achieve clarity but also enhance our ability to effectively communicate our worth to others. This clarity serves as a gateway to fresh opportunities, opening doors that might otherwise remain shut.